Loading apparatus



June 13, 1957 s. T. HENRIKssoN ETAL LOADING APPARATUS 3 sheets-sheet i Filed Dec. ll, 1964 JM@ 5. T Henn/65m?, f-Ma/mgr'en, RL. Mupzka.,

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June 13, 1967 s. T. HENRlKssoN ETAL l 3,325,022

LOADING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. ll, 1964 JWM/1251A 57T Hen/1' kson, A. Ma/m/fe/v, L.. Maaika,

June 1s, 1967 s. T. HENRlKsSON Em. 3,325,022

LOADING APPARATUS Filed Dec. ll, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet E l )LL-Jn L ..-wmg

FIGS.

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United States Patent O 3,325,022 LOADING APPARATUS Sune Torsten Henriksson, Kvartsvagen 9; Alie Malmgren, Tvargatan Ragnar Ludvig Muotka, Kyrkogatan 46; and Lars Harald Widegren, Sorrarsgatan 14, all of Kiruna, Sweden Filed Dec. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 417,685 Claims priority, application Sweden, Dec. 16, 1963, 13,985/ 63 9 Claims. (Cl. 214-41) The present invention relates to loading apparatus of `the type having a shovel supported by two pairs o-f levers mounted on a frame-like base structure at opposite sides thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a loading apparatus of this kind which is simple in construction, eliicient in operation and easy to control.

The base structure may either be a separate one with or without wheels or other rolling supporting means or, as an alternative, it may form the frame of a vehicle. In case of a separate base structure for supporting the lever system, the structure should be so designed as to allow a vehicle .to be loaded to be backed in between the side members of the frame-like base structure into a position suitable for loading7 the vehicle.

Itis already known to mount pairs of shovel supporting leve-rs on opposite sides of the fra-me of an automotive vehicle. In known loading apparatus of such kind the movement of the shovel to cause it to dig into a pile of material to be loaded is effected by advancing the vehicle towards the pile of material while the shoved is held in a position in which it is sliding on the surface of the g-round or moves immediately thereabove.

Such an operation means considerable wear of the tires of 4the respective wheel result-ing in large expenses.

According to the invention this drawback is avoided by arranging the lever systems in such a way as to allow advancing of the shovel towards the material to be loaded and causing it to dig into said material while the base structure supporting the lever systems is standing still or otherwise held against movement.

`Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following descript-ion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a principal side elevation of the loading mechanism of an apparatus according to the invention mounted on a wheeled frame, part of which only is shown.

FIG. 2 is a similar elevation of the loading mechanism mounted on a wheeled frame, s-uch as that of a vehicle, having a load receiving body.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a loading apparatus according to the invention, the loading mechanism oi which is mounted on a non-wheeled frame, the trailer of an articulated traction and trailer vehicle being backed therein to receive the load.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 with the shovel resting on the upper edge of :the trailer body and the base structure of the loading apparatus raised from the ground for transportation purpose.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention the supporting base structure of which is provided with selfpropelling means in the shape of two tractor-bands, one upon each side of the base structu-re.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the apparatus according to FIG. 5 on a larger scale.

FIG. 7 is a detail section on a still larger scale of the portion of IFIG. 6 shown within the dash-dotted circle.

In all gures of the drawings one side member only of the base structure and associated loading mechanism is shown.

With `reference to FIGS. l and 2, the numeral 1 indicates one side member of a wheeled frame, such as that of a ve- ICC hicle, which is not otherwise shown, but which may be provided with a Vdrive engine or adapted to form the trailer of an articulated traction and trailer vehicle. Mounted in a bearing 3 adjacent the end of frame member 1 is a journal 2 by means of which a lever 4 is pivoted to the frame member. The outer end of lever 4 is pivotally connected, by means of a journal 5, to another lever 6, the outer end of which is pivotally connected .to a shovel 7 by the aid of journal 8. A similar lever system is, as already hereinbefore indicated, provided between the opposite side member of the frame and the shovel.

The levers and the shovel are individually controlled by hydraulic means.

To this end the lever 4 extends below the journal 2 by an integral arm 9 `the end of which is pivotally connected to the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder 10, the rear end of which is pivoted .to the respective side member of the frame, at 11. By the aid of the cylinder 1t) the swinging motion of lever 4 about journal 2 is controlled, the arrangement being such as .to allow lthe lever 4 to move from the position shown by full lines in FIGS. l and 2 into the position 41' shown by dotted lines in said figures, in which position lever 4 extends along the upper edge of frame member 1. The swinging motion of the lever 6 about the journal 5 connecting it with lever 4 is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 12 pivotally mounted by its rear end on journal 2 or on a separate journal positioned on a line with journal 2, the piston rod of the cylinder 12 being pivoted to an inner point 13 of lever 6. The angular movement of the shovel 7 with respect to lever 6 is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 14 journalled at 13 to the lever 6 and having its piston rod connected to a rearwardly projecting arm 15 of the shovel by means of a pivot 16.

By the aid of the hydraulic controlling system just described it is possible, while the support-ing frame is held against movement, 4to move the shovel from its starting position shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a horizontal direction, as indicated by the arrow a, or in a more o-r less downwardly or upwardly inclined direction for causing it to dig into the material to be loaded and after having been `filled with such material to raise it to a position for delivering its content either to a separate vehicle or another transportation means, or to a load carrying body supported by the frame, as indicated by dotted lines at 17 in FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the positions between which the shovel supporting lever 6 may move while lever 4 is in its downwardly folded state 41 are indicated at 61 and 62, the corresponding positions of the hydraulic cylinder 12 being indicated by the dot-dash lines 121 and 122, respectively.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 lever systems with the shovel carried thereby are shown as :mounted on a base structure having no wheels or other rolling supporting elements but adapted to be transported by means of a trailer backed in between the sides of the base structure. Even in these figures one side only of the apparatus is shown, that is to say, one side member of the base structure and its respective lever system. In this embodiment the base structure supporting the lever systems is in the shape of a platform including two side members 1S at a suicient distance from each other to allow a trailer or other load carrying vehicle to be backed in between them, a front base plate 22 connecting said side members which extends from the front end of the side members (the right hand end in the drawings) to the point marked A, and a short rear plate 23 or other cross connection between the rear ends of the side members. The dimensions of said front and rear cross connecting elements 22 and 23 are such as to leave a suiiicient space A-B between themselves to allow a conventional pair of wheels of a `trailer or other load receiving vehicle, to be backed in over the front base plate 22 Ito get into touch with the ground through said space, and :also allowing the base structure to be lifted to some extent, as will appear from FIG. 4.

The lever system proper is equal to that hereinbefore described, comprising on each side of the base structure a lever 4 journalled at 2 to a bearing member 3 mounted on the respective side member 18 of the base structure, another lever 6, pivotally connected with lever 4 at 5 and a shovel 7 pivotally connected to lever 6 at 8. The control elements are assumed to be hydraulic cylinders, viz one designated by 10 inserted -between a journal 11 mounted in a bearing member 19 on the side member 18, and a rear arm 9 of lever 4, a hydraulic cylinder 12 inserted between levers 4 and 5, as previously described, and a hydraulic cylinder 14 inserted between lever 6 and shovel '7.

In operation, a trailer or other vehicle having an opentopped load carrying body 20 is backed into between the side portions of the base structure with its pair of wheels, or rear pair of wheels, if there are more than one such pair, until said wheels reach the space A-B between the lfront plate 22 and the rear plate or cross connection 23 fand get into contact with the ground, as will be seen from FIG` 3. While in this position the vehicle body 20 may be illed with the material to be carried thereby. To this end the shovel is moved towards the pile of material, which is assumed to be located on a distance behind the base structure, and caused to dig therein so as to be lled with material, which is then lifted above the body 20 and allowed to drop therein, as shown in FIG. 3. As already pointed out the movement of the shovel to cause it to dig into the pile of material, not shown, may be effected while the base structure remains stationary. Should it be required to move thebase structure nearer to the pile of material or to some other working place, then this may be done by means of the vehicle under filling. To this end the shovel is swung upwards above the top of the body 20 and brought to bear by the edge of its open top on the edge of the body 20, as shown in FIG. 4. With the shovel in this position the levers 4 and 6 are brought nearer to each other as far as may be considered practical or feasible, lthereby lifting the base structure from its position on the ground (FIG. 3) to such a level (FIG. 4) as to permit -transportation of the entire loading apparatus to the desi'r'ed place. The trailer with the loading apparatus carried thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, may then be moved to the desired emptying place by means of the motor vehicle 21.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-7 the lever systems are constructed as in the already described embodiments. The base structure supporting the lever systems comprises in this case two side members 52 and 53 each having a driving band 50 and 51, respectively, allowing propelling of the loading apparatus. The lever system comprises like those of the previously described embodiments two pairs of interconnected levers each carried by a separate one of the side members of the base structure. The two side members 52 and 53 are connected together in part by means of a narrow base plate or the like 54 extending between the rear ends of lthe side members and in part by means of an arch-shaped structure 55 connecting the front portions of the side members, said arch-shaped structure having a sufficient height for allowing a trailer or other vehicle to be loaded to pass therebelow into between the side members for loading purpose. Such a trailer is indicated at 56 in FIG. 5.

The lever systems supported by the side members are equal to those already described. Thus, each system comprises a lever 4 pivotally connected to the respective side member by means of a journal 2, a lever 6 connected to lever 4 by means of the pivot 5 and pivoted at its other end to the shovel 7, at 8. For the purpose of controlling the lever systems, the levers 4 are each formed with a downwardly extending arm 9 connected to the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder 10 pivotally connected to the respective side member at 11. The two levers 4 on opposite sides of the loading apparatus are adapted to form bearings for a transverse shaft 5 rotatably mounted in each lever 4 by means of a journal 58,\as shown in FIG. 7. Mounted on said shaft 5 are the two levers 6 fastened to the shaft by means of a key and groove connection, as shown at 59 in FIG. 7 in respect of the left hand lever 6 of FIG. 6. In this case the hydraulic cylinders 12 adapted to control the movement of levers 6 with relation to levers 4 are not connected directly to the levers 6 but to arms 57 also keyed lto shaft 5, as shown at 60 in FIG. 7 in respect of the left hand arm 57 of FIG. 6. It is thus seen that the levers 6 and the arms 57 are rigidly connected together by means of shaft 5. When the cylinders 12 operate, they will bring the arms 57 to rotate the shaft 5 in its bearings in the levers 4 and impart a corresponding movement to the levers 6. By means of the cylinders 14 the shovel 7 may be caused at any instant to take up the desired position with relation to the levers 6.

In operation, the shovel 7 may be moved along the ground surface, as from the position shown in FIG. 5, to dig into a pile of material, not shown, and having been lled with such material, it will then be moved back towards the base structure and lifted to a position for delivering its content into the trailer body, all while the drive bands are held against movement. 'It is thus evident that the trailer loading action may be carried out while the loading apparatus and the trailer are both held stationary. In order to prevent unintentional movement of the trailer with respect to the lbase structure of the loading apparatus during the loading operation the plate 54 interconnecting the side members at their rear ends is formed with a concave upper surface upon which the wheels of the trailer may come to rest, as the trailer is fully backed into between the side members 52, 53 .of the loading apparatus, as indicated in FIG. 5.

The trailer having been lilled to the desired extent may be removed from its position in the loading apparatus by its traction vehicles. The loading apparatus may either remain on its place to receive another trailer or other vehicle to be loaded or, as the case vmay be, moved to another loading place.

We claim:

1. A loading apparatus of the character described comprising a base structure having side members spaced from each other to allow a load receiving vehicle to be placed therebetween, rigid connections between said side members situated at locations free of interference with said placing of said vehicles, two pairs of levers, each pair having one of its llevers pivotally mounted on one of said side members, respectively, the levers of each pair being pivotally connected to each other at points spaced from said pivotal mountings on said side members respectively, the other lever of each of said pairs being pivotally connected with a shovel at points spaced from the points t where they are connected with said one lever, respectively, means for independently operably controlling the operation of the levers of each pair with relation to each other and to the respective side member of the base structure, means for controlling the angular position of the shovel with respect to the levers supporting same, whereby said levers can be operated to move said shovel in a substantially horizontal path and cause it to dig into the material to be loaded, and then lifted to deliver its contents of material to a load receiving vehicle situated between the side members of the base structure, all without requiring any advancing or retracting movements of either the base structure or of the vehicle undergoing loading.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, and in which the shovel supporting levers are located near one end of the base structure, said base structure being open at its opposite end Ito allow a vehicle to be loaded to be moved in between said side members of the base structure, means provided at the rst mentioned end of the base structure to stop a vehicle thus moved in between the side members of the base structure and hold it against movement during the loading operation.

3. A loading apparatus according to claim 2, and in which said stop means comprises a cross connection element provided between the side members of the base structure at the end thereof facing the shovel.

4. A loading apparatus according to claim 1, and in which the base structure is provided with a base plate forming a cross connection between the side members of the structure along a main portion of its length as reckoned from the end thereof remote from the shovel, said base plate being of such a restricted height as not to prevent a vehicle to be loaded from moving in between the side members of the base structure, said base plate being positioned at such a distance from the cross connection element provided at the end of the base structure facing the shovel as to leave a suicient space between itself and said element for receiving a pair of wheels of a Vehicle to be loaded.

5. In a loading apparatus according to claim 1, and a cross connection element provided between the side members of the base structure at the end thereof facing the shovel and on a level substantially coinciding with that of the side members, and another cross connection element in the shape of an arch provided between the side 25 members of the base structure at the end thereof remote from the shovel, said arched cross connection element being of sufciently large dimensions as to allow a vehicle to be loaded to move into loading position between the side members of the base structure.

6. A loading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and in which the base structure is provided with rolling supporting means.

7. A loading apparatus according to claim 6, and in which the said rolling supporting means comprise two endless drive bands, each combined with a separate one of the side members of the base structure.

8. A loading .apparatus according to claim 7, and in which a drive engine is provided for each endless drive band.

9. A loading apparatus according to claim 1, and in which the base structure rests directly in the ground, feature involving that said levers supporting the shovel are so arranged as to allow raising of the base structure from the ground by means of the lever systems after having brought the shovel into a position in which it rests upon a vehicle, as a trailer, to be transported thereby.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 739,452 10/ 1955 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLI-ENZA, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 0 

1. A LOADING APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A BASE STRUCTURE HAVING SIDE MEMBERS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO ALLOW A LOAD RECEIVING VEHICLE TO BE PLACED THEREBETWEEN, RIGID CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS SITUATED AT LOCATIONS FREE OF INTERFERENCE WITH SAID PLACING OF SAID VEHICLES, TWO PAIRS OF LEVERS, EACH PAIR HAVING ONE OF ITS LEVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, THE LEVERS OF EACH PAIR BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT POINTS SPACED FROM SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTINGS ON SAID SIDE MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY, THE OTHER LEVER OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITH A SHOVEL AT POINTS SPACED FROM THE POINTS WHERE THEY ARE CONNECTED WITH SAID ONE LEVER, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLY CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE LEVERS OF EACH PAIR WITH RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE RESPECTIVE SIDE MEMBER OF THE BASE STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ANGULAR POSITION OF THE SHOVEL WITH RESPECT TO THE LEVERS SUPPORTING SAME, WHEREBY SAID LEVERS CAN BE OPERATED TO MOVE SAID SHOVEL IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH AND CAUSE IT TO DIG INTO THE MATERIAL TO BE LOADED, AND THEN LIFTED TO DELIVER ITS CONTENTS OF MATERIAL TO A LOAD RECEIVING VEHICLE SITUATED BETWEEN THE SIDE MEMBERS OF THE BASE STRUCTURE, ALL WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY ADVANCING OR RETRACTING MOVEMENTS OF EITHER THE BASE STRUCTURE OR OF THE VEHICLE UNDERGOING LOADING. 